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Do name brand items mentioned in books help you in picturing a scene or are they just an annoyance to you?

I think it works sometimes but in a few years everything is out of date;)

I think a little goes a long way. I don't mind if the author occasionally mentions names, but when it's constant, it feels a little contrived. I know JR Ward does it a lot, and while I'm not always loving it, it does make her world feel distinctive and it's part of her voice.

Also brand naming can backfire because it can make the book feel dated if it leans too heavily on fads.

They can be helpful as long as you don't feel that the author is trying to plug something....we can all understand something like "Misty groaned inside when her date pulled into the local KFC." that creates a picture. "Misty did all her laundry with Tide. She was very clean"...I'm not reading for advertisments.

I love it, Oleander! LOL!

I think they can set a stage at times but I'm not overly fond of the excessive use of name brands. I agree they can feel dated if you read the book several years after publication. But there are certain brands or names that have been around for quite a while.

I agree completely Pamela sometimes it doesn't even take years it can be months.

Most of the time, I don't know the songs that are referenced so they can be waste of space for me.

lol. Yes, song titles can be tricky. I love that we have the internet available to search things like songs and even those name brands.

Not sure of the exact rules and too lazy to go look it up, but my gut feeling is it is a tricky topic. If I know the song it does make me identify more with the character and the story. However, what I usually read or write (for that matter) is certain phrases from a song that exemplify the mood. A title or over usage of a name brand would probably require permission and possible royalties to be paid.

Oleander wrote: "They can be helpful as long as you don't feel that the author is trying to plug something....we can all understand something like "Misty groaned inside when her date pulled into the local KFC." th..."

I have to agree Oleander. One of the things I loved about Fifty Shades Of Grey was all the high-end-merchandise porn. It helped paint a picture for me. I found myself googling everything unfamiliar, and it also introduced me to a lot of new music too.

I had to think about Fifty Shades of Grey, too when I read the thread.I was looking for the "sponsored by Apple and Audi" credits, when I read it.
I agree with all of the above, when it is not overused it is OK.
Sometimes the authors may not do it on purpose, because it is definitely shorter to write " she listened to music on her Ipod" than on the mp3 player.
And when you listen to the music mentioned in the books, than it can create sometimes a special emotion for the story.

I hate it when it's done in excess (to me Julie James's Just the Sexiest Man Alive comes to mind) but I don't care when it's just a reference here and there.

As for the songs, I actually like them as I love music, and when I'm not too bored I'll google them (pun intented). It makes me get a vibe on the author's personality, the kind of music she listens to, like she's sharing something personal and I love that.

Truthfully I find it distracting. I don't need to know what brand the characters are wearing, eating, drinking, or using unless it has something to do with the plot. Its like a neon sign screaming PRODUCT PLACEMENT to me. Music doesn't bother me as long as its not used too often. Movies are fine as long as you don't tell me the plot. I read a book recently where the characters watched movies together and the writer told what was happening within the movie. Luckily I had seen the movies but still annoying. Same thing with books. The thing that really annoys me is writers writing their characters playing video games when you can tell they don't play them themselves.

I don't want specifics on every brand or song they may hear, but a few mentions peppered here and there can add to a book for me.

(Use brands sparingly and I'm good!)

If authors want to reach an international audience, they should consider keeping the brand naming to a minimum! A lot of American brands either don't exist overseas, or go by a different name.

Now, I like local flavour in books (and hate when non-American books are 'sanitised' before being released in the US - it definitely works both ways!), but as an Australian, I find authors who overuse brand names a little bit irritating. I don't mind Googling a few things, but not a few products per page. :) :)

As was already mentioned, it also dates a book. I have some favourite 'contemporaries' from years and years ago, and they work because they didn't date themselves with lots of mentions of fads or out-dated technologies...

So true, Sonya! Too much is too much. Keep at a minimum.

I agree. I hate non-American books being edited for America before publication. I admit the first time I read someone having a 'torch' in their car I scratched my head. But I find these references charming.
What I do hate is authors using abbreviations for words without telling me what it means the first time. J.R. Ward does this big time and it really annoys me.

Traci L. wrote: "I agree. I hate non-American books being edited for America before publication. I admit the first time I read someone having a 'torch' in their car I scratched my head. But I find these references ..."

Just curious because I haven't read any JR Ward yet, but what does she abbreviate? (To avoid head scratching when I finally get around to BDB.)

Thanks!